Author's Note: I apologize for not returning to my stories sooner. Like I said, I had to focus on real life events, and I also got hooked on watching the Lupin III part 5 series, English only, because I had been trying to see it for a long time. It doesn't excuse my not focusing on writing though. I redid the chapter where Marinette and Alain meet Ren, but also get acquainted with Ann. I also think writing this ML/P5 story is taking away my time to write my old P5 story, but I solely wrote this story because I got angry on Marinette's behalf on everything she suffered through. I especially believe that my Yusuke x Haru love story was kind of a waste of my time, debating on whether to get rid of it or not. I still want to focus on my old Persona 5 story, but I'm still stuck on what to name my female main character and what persona she should have.
Enjoy!
Marinette was used to traveling or teleporting to several different places in the city or around the world. Then again, it came with the territory of being a superhero. She had visited New York and Shanghai, admired all of the sights and learned about different cultures. Becoming friends with a few superheroes close to her age. Fighting villains who are just as rotten as Hawkmoth, especially when said villain often shows up unexpectedly to akumatize the scum just to make them his pawns.
And yet, when she first fell through the portal and landed on the cold hard ground, her blue eyes widened at what she was seeing now. Some sort of residential district or a backstreet neighborhood in Japan, recognizing the kanji language written outside of every building saying what place is what. She was glad to have been given lessons in learning Japanese by Kagami, otherwise she'd have trouble understanding it. Several shops, cafes and dining areas lined the street, along with a supermarket, a second-hand shop and a sweet potato vendor. There were several other places to visit - Takemi's medical clinic, a public bathhouse, laundromats, a batting center, and a movie theater. At the far end of the street is a living residence for people who often come down here and do a little quick shopping.
Everything seemed normal, like how any regular district should be. The street sounds quiet, minus the faint noises of cars driving outside the district. Fortunately for Marinette, nobody else seems to be around to notice two teenagers bursting out of a portal out of the blue.
"Ugh... why'd you have to jump on me?" Alain's voice groans, lying halfway on the ground and sitting up to massage the pain in his head.
On autopilot, Marinette's head snaps directly at him. All forms of curiosity and fascination were quickly thrown out the window. She had forgotten his reckless actions have brought them here. Anger filled her to the core. She marched straight toward Alain, reached down and grabbed hold of his shirt collar. "YOU IDIOT!" she bellowed, shaking him. "YOU JUST NEVER LISTEN, DO YOU!?"
"Well..." Alain smiled innocently. "I was doing you a favor."
"What makes you think using the horse miraculous so carelessly is a favor!?" she yelled. "We're lucky that nobody else saw us, otherwise we'd have to come up with a lame excuse to why we're here! Don't you realize how stupid and wrong this is? Why did you do it?"
Alain stares at her with a blank expression, until it shifts to firm irritation. "Because nobody else will. Going to find these Phantom Thieves and pleading our case with them is the only option we have. I don't care what Tikki says."
"You don't care what I-Rrragh!" Furious, Tikki hovered over the boy's face and slaps him with her tiny paws. "Look here, mister! I have my reasons for not traveling to another foreign city to ask for the assistance of these Phantom Thieves when we don't even know them! These guys are thieves, a group that wields unknown, supernatural powers and no one to control them... sounds similar to Hawk Moth, doesn't it? They call themselves thieves, something that good heroes would never do. You cannot just take a miraculous and use it to do whatever you want. You barely know how they work!" Although he probably learned how to use the horse miraculous, thanks to Kaaliki explaining it to him. No doubt against her word or whatever happened back at the shop. "It's bad enough that Hawkmoth has poor Nooroo doing terrible things against his will, but you just had to go behind our backs and pull a stunt like that!"
To her utter frustration, Alain just scowled at her as though she was a nuisance. He would've liked to say a few cuss words had Marinette's phone not beeped. She checked and saw a text sent by Zoe, who is no doubt deeply concerned over their unexpected situation.
Zoe: Marinette! Are you okay? Answer me!
Marinette: I'm fine, Zoe. But I guarantee you that Alain won't be when I'm through with him.
When she wrote her message, Marinette bitterly scowls in his direction. Oh, she'll definitely give him a piece of her mind when they get back to Paris. Alain, on the other hand, wasn't fazed by her anger. He called off the transformation and was back in his regular attire.
Kaalki floated beside him, frowning guiltily. "I'm sorry, Guardian. He said he needed me for an important, secret mission, and I wasn't supposed to tell anyone when we go back."
"I'm not blaming you, Kaalki." Marinette isn't faulting her for being used like this. "What matters is what we do now. We'll need a place to stay out of sight and wait until we can use the horse miraculous again."
"Not to mention staying out of sight of the police," Alain added. "Our arrival could be seen as suspicious and the cops could inform our parents back home and that's the last thing we want."
Before Marinette could say a word, a commotion drew their attention. The Kwamis hurriedly hid themselves in their holders' pockets. A girl's voice protesting loudly, followed by a man's voice trying to soothe her anxiety. All thoughts of punishing Alain and scolding Kaalki were instantly banished. Whatever's happening nearby didn't sound good. Marinette put a finger to her lips, cautioning Alain to follow her lead. Round the corner, the pair peeked discreetly to see what's going on.
A very attractive girl of sixteen with platinum blonde hair in bushy ponytails was in a dire situation. She was trying her best to rebuff a middle-aged man, whose voice sounds soothing and calm when he spoke to her, but his eyes and grin sent alarm bells ringing in Alain and Marinette's heads. Anyone could see why this man is dubiously interacting with her and what his intentions are.
"C'mon, there's no need to be shy!" The man pestered, still holding that creepy smile on his face. "I'm a big fan of your work. We should go someplace for lunch... just the two of us."
"Grr! Like I said, I'm not interested in going anywhere with you! Get lost, perv!" The blonde girl was trying to shake him off, but it seemed like her attempts weren't helping her. She did try to walk away, and when she did, the man forcibly grabbed her wrist and yanks her toward him. "Argh! Let go of me!"
"Don't be rude. I just want to get to know you, Takamaki-chan." Leering, the man leans in to get a closer look at her lovely face. "If you're not busy, I'll give you my number so we can chat later. Sound good to you?"
Several people in the area noticed this and the murmurs started about what's happening... and to Marinette and Alain's shock, not a single person wanted to help the poor girl. Some walked away or pointedly engage in conversation as if the situation doesn't concern them. As if that wasn't sickening enough, they didn't hesitate in ignoring her or walking away the second things had gone worse.
"What is wrong with these people!? Can't they see what's happening in front of them!?" Alain voices their thoughts at how apathetic people are behaving when a girl is being molested by a pervert.
Marinette watched the scene a bit, having flashbacks to that day when Lila tried forcing herself onto Claude. And no decent adult nor student did a thing to stop it. Even if this incident right now isn't her problem, she can't overlook it. Never has and never will. She storms in, approaching the molester and the victim. "Hey, you!" She shouted and they finally noticed her. "You heard her! She said let go!"
"Who the hell are you?" The man stares at her, unknowingly loosening his grip on the girl's wrist. "No need to be rude, brat. I'm just being friendly."
"That last man who got all friendly with a high school girl was a PE teacher and his idea of 'being friendly' got himself in prison for sexual harassment!" The blonde girl pulls her wrist free, backing off just a bit to keep her distance from her molester.
"So why don't you do as she says and get lost, pervert!" Marinette spoke in her Ladybug tone, being assertive and firm.
This pissed off the man greatly. He attempts to use his height and a guilt-induced speech to intimidate and shame her. "Think you can get away with talking back at me like that? Didn't your parents raise you to respect your elders?"
"They don't raise us to respect slimy, disgusting pedophiles like you!" The blonde girl's attitude swiftly changes from nervous anxiety to a fiery rage as she stands close to Marinette. "Old farts like you have no right to earn respect if all you do is force yourself on teenage girls for stupid reasons!"
Again, this angered the man at their refusal to relent. "Tch! Whatever. Not like you're anything special." How fast he was to change his mind when his prize escaped him, no thanks to this meddlesome foreign brat. Disappointed and pouting, he left.
"Good riddance!" Marinette watched him leave, satisfied to have gotten rid of the pervert.
The blonde girl shifts her gaze toward her savior, clearly not expecting a girl two years younger than her displaying a gutsy attitude standing up to a pedophile. Honestly, she was deeply impressed and relieved. "Thank you so much!" she says, extremely grateful for the rescue. "I really appreciate what you did for me."
"Don't worry about it, it's the least I could do." The bluenette smiled gently, waving off her thanks.
"No telling what that creep would have done. I thought I could handle it, but he said if I think of either kicking him in the nuts or smacking him, he'll have me arrested."
Marinette's eyes almost pop out of her head. "Arrested!? For defending yourself against a sleaze bag!?"
"Yeah, well, in this day and age, sleazy adults abuse their power to ruin the lives of young girls for rejecting them." While she spoke, the blonde girl's face looked devastatingly crestfallen.
Marinette noticed this. Did something like that happen to her? Geez, this poor girl must've had it rough. She didn't want to ask for fear of upsetting her or possibly reopening old wounds. "I'm sorry to hear that..."
"It's okay. That's all in the past now." The girl assures her it's no longer a problem to fret over.
"Well, I'll be on my way. You take care now." No sooner did Marinette turn to leave and go back to Alain, she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder preventing her from going any further. She looked back and realized the girl didn't want her to leave so hastily.
This newcomer had been so brave and kind. And modest too. But the blonde girl couldn't let her dismiss the depths of her appreciation so easily. "Wait a minute! At least allow me to do something to express my gratitude."
Marinette wasn't expecting more than a regular thank you, having gotten used to people simply saying their thanks whenever she helped them in the past. But as it has happened frequently since her life changed for the worst, these days she was tired of hearing condemnation or commands to be a good example whenever Chloe or Lila antagonized her. So, someone wanting to repay her kindness felt like a weight lifted off her shoulders. "Sure, thanks."
"Ahem! I'm still here." Alain decided to make his presence be known. He had witnessed the entire scene fold out, glad to see that creep was gone.
The blonde girl looks at him, not expecting to see another foreign teen nearby. "Hm? Who is this?"
"This is my friend, Alain. We sort of... dropped in by his doing." The young designer subtly hinted she never forgot their earlier argument, secretly giving him the stink eye. She turned back to the blonde girl, smiling. "I'm Marinette, by the way."
Happily ignoring the young designer's dirty look, Alain grinned hugely and waved. "Nice to meet you, babe!" To be honest, the blonde girl was very lovely. His eyes trailed up and down at her body, silently admiring her figure. "You wouldn't happen to be of French origin, are you?"
"It's nice to meet you too," the blonde girl replied, noticing his wandering eyes but remained polite if not firm. "My name is Ann. And no, I was born in Finland. But I'd appreciate it if whatever weird thoughts you're having about me should be forever erased."
Alain almost stumbled back, startled. "Wha-! I wasn't thinking weird thoughts!"
"I could see it in your eyes. So, please behave yourself."
Marinette giggled quietly at watching him get told off for his leery eyes. Even Tikki silently laughed, that idiot totally deserved it for his selfishness and carelessness.
Ann took them to a little place called Leblanc, a Japanese-Western Cafe famous in the neighborhood for its signature coffee and curry. When they entered, a sweet aroma hit the Parisians' noses. The coffee smelled so fresh, and the atmosphere inside felt so homey and inviting, welcoming customers to sit down and relax.
"This is really nice," Marinette awed.
"Yeah," Alain nodded enthusiastically. "I can't wait to try some real Japanese cuisine!"
Ann grinned. "You're gonna love the curry and coffee Ren makes. He's become a master at this, thanks to Boss." Seeing the confusion on the kids' faces, she explained, "Oh yeah. Boss's real name is Sojiro Sakura, owner of this cafe. He's really nice despite his gruff exterior."
A boy the same age as Ann was busy washing the dishes in the kitchen when he heard the bell jingle at the front door, signaling the presence of customers. Marinette got a good look at him. Pale complexion with unkempt, frizzled black hair and grey eyes behind large black glasses. He wore a white apron in front of a black short-sleeved shirt underneath an open white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, blue jeans and dark, laced shoes.
"Hey, Ren!" Ann greets the boy with a smile, making the Parisians realize she's happily acquainted with him.
The boy, known as Ren, nods his head with a grin of his own. He notices the two foreign kids behind her, studying their appearances with surprised confusion. "Hi, Ann. Who are these guys?"
"This is Marinette and Alain, they got separated from their class on a trip," the girl explained. "Marinette recently saved me from a jerk who couldn't bother to take no for an answer. So, I wanted to treat her for some curry to say thanks."
Marinette bows politely, and Alain does the same, fully aware this is a custom in Japan when you meet someone. "Hello, it's nice to meet you. Ann told me that you're amazing when it comes to curry."
Ren rubs the back of his neck, flattered by the praise. "Ah, well... I'm just learning in order to impress the ladies who visit but thank you." The was a joke on his part.
Red colors Marinette's face, slightly taken aback by his words. "Well... this is my first time trying curry and a friend of mine who is Japanese has often told me how good curry tastes." Couple of times she had seen Kagami eat such a tasty meal. When the fencer told her what it was, Marinette wrote down the recipe in her notebook so she could make curry at home but never got the chance.
A tiny poke at her elbow told her that Alain wanted to whisper in her ear, and he said, "We don't have the money to pay for curry or coffee. We only got French money."
"Don't worry, Ann has offered to treat us," she assured.
The two of them sat in front of the counter next to Ann as she explained the various types of food and beverages they could pick. It was difficult to decide because everything sounds good. It had to be cheap though because neither of them wanted to waste all of Ann's money, even though she was insistent they pick whatever they wanted. Alain ordered a beef curry dish, and Marinette chose a chicken curry dish. She ordered coffee as well, but Alain asked for a glass of water because he's not a fan of coffee.
While waiting for their meals to cook, Ann began a conversation with them as she was interested in getting to know more about her saviors. "So, what brings you guys to Japan?"
Alain thinks for a moment until he concocts an idea. "We came here together with our class trip, but we got separated on the train and now we have to wait. How about you? Are you visiting Japan on a trip with your class?"
"Nope, I've lived in Japan ever since middle school," Ann explained. "My parents are in the fashion industry, traveling the world and putting on extravagant shows, jumping from one country to another. I wanted to stay here after I made my first real friend, so I don't seem them very often. But they do video chat or send a text to check up on me once in a while."
Suddenly Marinette's eyes lit up. "Hold on..." There was only one fashion company known for those fantastic worldwide shows, and she wanted to be sure if Ann is related to them before jumping to conclusions. "Are you actually the daughter of Luke and Erika Takamaki?"
Ann nodded. "Absolutely. Why do you ask?"
"OH MY GOD!" The stool falls over startling everyone as Marinette jumps up excitedly, bluebell eyes widening and filled with sparkles. "I'm a big fan of your parents' work! Their designs are just so incredible and beautiful! I watch their show on every weekend, even online!"
Alain sighed and gave a friendly smile. "Marinette happens to be a fashion lover herself and has a talent for designing great clothes. Heck, she's the one who designed Jagged Stone's Eiffel tower glasses. Ever heard of MDC? Well, you're looking at her. Her full name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, which stands for MDC."
Speechless, Ann was surprised by the Chinese-French girl's sudden outburst of fascination, which eventually shifts to astonishment and awe. "Really? You're MDC!?" Now it was her turn to react enthusiastically, eyes widening in admiration and shaking the girl's hand. "Oh, wow! It's so nice to meet you! I've seen your work online. You have a lot of potential, it's amazing."
Touched by the compliment, Marinette gave a bashful smile. "T-Thank you."
They continuously chatted over fashion and other accessories like any teenage girl would do. Alain paid no mind to it, deciding to play a game on his phone to pass the time. Several messages popped up and found, not that he didn't expect this, they had come from Allegra and Claude chastising him for his reckless actions. Zoe must have informed them about what had happened. He sent one message explaining where they are, not to worry and they will be back later. He could only hope they don't kill him, as far as he's concerned, he saw nothing with his actions. He needs to find those Phantom Thieves and request their help in dealing with Lila. It's the only way.
By now, the curry was officially ready, and the second Marinette took her first bite, she had only one word to describe it - delightful. As for Alain, a huge grin appears on his face when he tried it. Even the coffee Marinette got tastes marvelously.
And it was in that moment, Alain popped the question she had wished he never asked. "Do you guys know anything about the Phantom Thieves of Hearts?"
Marinette almost spat out her coffee, but she regained composure and swallowed the hot liquid. Ren and Ann just stared at him, not sure how to answer.
Alain repeated the question, and explained his reason for it, "We need their help. There's this nasty girl back in Paris who's not only a pathological liar, but also a narcissistic, cold-hearted witch who enjoys causing pain and misery for us and our friends. Everyone else is so enchanted by her fake charisma; nobody will believe us every time we tell them. Her name is Lila Rossi and we, or rather I, was hoping if the Phantom Thieves can help by changing Lila's heart and get her to confess all the horrible things she's done to hurt us because nobody will help-Oomph!" was all he could say when Marinette not so secretly kicked him in the ankle. She cast him an irked frown, making him roll his eyes.
"Now's now the time nor the place!" she hissed.
"We need their help to stop Lila!" he retorted. "She's already ruined your social life beyond repair!"
Ren and Ann stayed quiet for a few seconds, not entirely sure how to respond to the newcomers' bickering. What does this Lila person have to do with Alain's question regarding the Phantom Thieves? From Alain's description, this girl sounds like trouble, especially since he revealed she ruined Marinette's life. Alain expected them to say something, anything at all.
Realizing he hadn't spoken, Ren leaned over the counter and said, "What would you like to know?" Grey eyes shone with gentleness and understanding, encouraging him to talk.
"Oh, it's nothing for you fret over! Lila is nobody else's problem but ours. We can handle her..." Marinette hastily tries to change the subject, but she stops when the frizzled-hair boy aims a calm yet serious look to not interrupt them.
"We'd like to know about them and what they can do to change people's hearts," Alain explains. "We looked them up online and got plenty of information. The general public says they're heroes similar to Robin Hood who help those who are suffering, but the police are denouncing them as dangerous criminals." He rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Tch, I don't believe they're criminals at all!" He smiled fondly next. "They did get rid of real criminals like that PE teacher and that mafia boss, after all. So, I'd like to know what your opinions are about them."
"Have you ever been scared of these Phantom Thieves?" Marinette questioned. Tikki's words ringing in her head, and she knew the kwami does have a point. "They are changing the hearts of people with unknown power."
"The Phantom Thieves…" Ren took a moment to consider the question, which made the Parisians teens wonder why there's a hesitance in his voice and suspect if he's one of those haters who view them as bad guys, until there was a firm conviction to his voice that surprised them, "They have done a lot of good things to help when adults turn a blind eye. They're saving victims who are downtrodden, misunderstood, abused or suffering by exposing the sins of the true villains who have done wrong."
"Exactly!" Ann chimes in. "They punish the corrupt and give courage to those in need. If not for them, the bad guys would still be allowed to roam free. They saved me from Kamoshida in the past and I'm grateful to them! They only target rotten adults who abuse their authority and trample on the weak. Honestly, they remind me of those antiheroes or femme fatales I looked up to as a kid."
"Pardon me, but have you ever seen the Phantom Thieves physically?" Marinette questions, needing to be sure of what these thieves look like and what their powers are. "What kind of super suits do they wear or what powers do they have?"
Ann blinked, puzzled. "Super suits? What are you talking about?"
"Paris has two superheroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir..." it took every ounce of willpower for Marinette to not say that dumb cat's name with hatred, "fighting a supervillain known as Hawk Moth. Everyone in public has seen what Ladybug and Chat Noir look like and what their powers are. There's also a website dedicated to Ladybug, it's called the Ladyblog. Besides, Ladybug isn't afraid to show herself and fight battles in front of everyone instead of doing it in the shadows."
Alain growled, irritated by her attmepts to explain what a true hero is. "Oh, please! Fighting in the shadows isn't a bad thing when it comes to fighting villains. So what if they're thieves? We need their help to stop Lila!"
It took a moment for Ann to register what the Chinese-French teen said, although she was slightly annoyed by what the girl said regarding Ladybug as a 'true' hero, until her eyes lit up. "Oh yeah! I know exactly what you're talking about. Futaba, a friend of mine, told me about this website a few days ago. She's a huge fan of Ladybug! Although, she hasn't been drawn to the site as she used to be..." That smile of intrigue soon morphs into a frown. "The Ladyblog has been publishing false information that's not totally reliable. I checked it out myself and, honestly..." she sighs before coming to a conclusion, "it's nothing but trash."
At that, Alain coughed and choked on the water he drank. Everyone stared at him as he burst out laughing. "Sorry! I'm sorry!" With him breathing properly again, he asked, "Why do you think it's trash?"
"Because the owner of the blog doesn't post facts anymore," Ann explained, despite confused by the boy's reaction. "She started posting videos about the grandiose lifestyle of some brat called Lila..." her eyes widened once she remembered Alain complained about said girl. "Wait, that girl from those videos is the same Lila you were talking about earlier, right?"
"Yep, the one and only Liar-la Rossi!" Alain confirmed, using the nickname he often enjoyed saying.
"Well, that Lila person appears to be an attention seeker. I mean, who the hell in their right frame of mind publishes a video claiming Ladybug is her best friend, disregarding the danger it could put Lila and her family in? There weren't any sources to confirm if what she said was true. And there's more such as Lila supposedly saving Jagged Stone's cat and damaging her hearing or helping Prince Ali with his Go-Green environment charity work. Futaba and I sent a couple of comments to disprove of the girl's claims by pointing out the facts, but the Ladyblogger posted back some nasty words saying everything she posts is the truth and we're slandering her best friend out of jealousy."
Marinette rolled her eyes, massaging the temples on her forehead. Sadly, that's exactly the kind of thing Alya would say to anybody. Fortunately, there was a silver lining to this story - while people in Paris are dumb enough to believe Lila's lies, it's an entirely different story in Japan.
Alain grumbled. "Tch! Typical Alya Cesaire." He wanted to forget about her and change the subject. "Well, back to the Phantom Thieves, do you know what these guys look like and what are their powers?"
At the reminder of his question, Ren and Ann immediately went silent as both of them seemingly pondered what to say. A distant "Mrrow!" surprised the Parisians, causing them to shift their gazes toward the direction of where the noise came from. A black and white cat with bright blue eyes and a yellow collar round his neck trotted down the staircase, pausing for a moment to look at the newcomers.
"Mrrow..." The cat approaches cautiously, studying the newcomers.
In that instant, Marinette's heartstrings were tugged as she gazed down at the face of an adorable creature. "Awww! You're so cute!" she squealed. Falling to her knees, she scooped the cat up in a hug. His fur is silky smooth and soft.
"Ah, hey! What the-" The cat struggled, protesting at this sudden newfound attention. He did try to wiggle out of her grasp, but he found himself cradled like a newborn baby. The touch of her fingers is so pleasant and affectionate, tickling his belly. His feline need for cuddles won him over as he meowed softly, nuzzling his face in her neck. Marinette cooed and giggled, playfully scratching his neck while he purred.
"This here is Morgana," Ren introduced the cat's name, smiling warmly at the bluenette cuddling his friend.
However, Tikki's shock was risen on a whole new level when she listened to Morgana... mumbling in perfect vocabulary? "The cat is talking...!?" she whispered. Being a kwami, only she could hear the cat's voice. When the cat begins to speak in good grammar, albeit quietly, only Ren and Ann somehow actually heard and understood him judging by their subtly reactions, anyone would find that oddly suspicious.
Confused, Marinette looks down at her. "What are you saying?" To the kwami's surprise, neither her holder nor Alain heard the cat speaking.
"Never mind," the little red kwami sighs. She quietly 'psst!' at Kaalki, still in Alain's pocket, to get her attention. Using sign language to communicate, Tikki whispers, "Did you hear that? The cat is talking! He speaks impressive grammar for an animal. Marinette and Alain are the only ones who can't hear him, but the boy behind the counter and his lady friend seem to understand him."
Kaalki gasps, wide eyed and jaw agape. She too could hear Morgana mumbling in bliss. "But that's impossible! How can that happen unless... he has a kwami who gives him the power to talk to animals?" That's gotta be the answer to this odd riddle, as Tikki seemed to accept it.
Either nobody listened to their private chat or blissfully ignored the kwamis, Ann finally comes up with an explanation regarding the Phantom Thieves' appearances or powers. "As in answer to your question, Alain, nobody really knows what the Phantom Thieves look like. As for their powers, no one knows either. But I think their leader wears a top hat and a mask because of that little symbol on those calling cards they always sent to their targets... and my theory is he dresses like a dashing Arsen Lupin gentleman thief-esque." When she said this, she smirks playfully at Ren, who let a small tint of red color his cheeks.
Marinette listened intently. Okay, so nobody knows what the Phantom Thieves actually look like because they're working in the shadows, like how any regular Phantom Thief would do. And nobody knows what their powers are. Two theories lingered in her mind - either they're power is supernatural or they're using miraculous jewelry. And the leader of the group supposedly wears a mask and top hat resembling the logo on the calling cards, fitting for a bunch of gentleman thieves.
"So, what did this Lila Rossi do to you and why do you want the Phantom Thieves to change her heart?" Ren curiously asked. "You said she's a narcissist who ruined Marinette's life and Ann said she's a brat who boasts for attention online."
Somewhere deep within Marinette's gut encouraged her to trust Ren, but she remained hesitant on telling him and Ann about why they're here. Would they believe her if she told them about Lila? Then again, Ann did mention how she and this Futaba person were shot down by Alya's 'You're just jealous' excuse when they failed to disprove of Lila's fairy tales. Unfortunately for her, Alain broke the silence as he began his explanation.
"I want the Phantom Thieves to change Lila's heart because she has ruined Marinette's life and that of my friend, Claude. Long story short, that little tramp is aware we know she's a malicious liar, and a threat to her fake social life. Lila also threatened Marinette in the girl's restroom by saying she will take away her friends and leave her all alone, unless she's either with her or against her. She even got Marinette expelled by framing her for cheating, bullying and theft."
"WHAAAT!?" Ren and Ann jerked back in shock as if a bolt of lightning struck them. Judging by Morgana's sudden halt in purring or asking for cuddles, his reaction was just the same as his theirs.
"First off, Marinette was accused of cheating on a test that was nothing more than a mock test and the announcement of said cheating came only after the test was done. Lila planted it in her bag when no one was looking," Alain continued. "If she were to cheat, which she would never, it wouldn't be on something worth so little in terms of points. Miss Bustier sent them both to the principal's office when Lila walked down the stairs, curled up and started wailing crocodile tears about Marinette pushing her. She never got examined by the nurse despite claiming her leg was injured, either."
"Are you serious...?" Ren gawked, unable to register what he's hearing. This was very alarming. And judging by the disturbed frown on Ann's face, she felt the same way. The principal and the teacher never bothered to get Lila medical attention which could have easily disproved her faking her nasty fall? Just what in the world is going on?
"I'm not kidding. Next, Marinette's parents got called to the school, but not Lila's mother. They don't want to bother her because she's a diplomat who's always 'too busy' to get a phone call. The brat started accusing Marinette of bullying her ever since she returned to school from her 'lovely trip to Achu to help Prince Ali with his charity work' and stole her family heirloom necklace too. The entire class and Miss Bustier gathered together with them in the locker room where there are no locks on those lockers and anyone could have, and has, gotten into Marinette's locker despite her requests to have it fixed that she submitted have gone ignored. Because Lila's necklace was found in the locker and now everyone thinks she stole it earlier. That stupid principal didn't even allow Marinette a chance to defend herself before he publicly humiliated and expelled her in front of the entire class, her teacher and her parents!"
Ren never said a word. The look on his face could only be described as a storm caused by the wrath of God, a scowl that would definitely scare Lila if she ever saw it. Ann stood frozen stiff with a look of enraged disbelief. Morgana also appeared to have a gaping look of shock. How can such a school be so incompetent and abusive? Oh wait, there is Shujin Academy. Slowly, their gazes landed on Marinette, who shed a tear when Alain brought up the past.
"That's awful..." Ann said sympathetically. Kindly, she got down on one knee and knelt beside the Chinese-French teen. "You didn't deserve to be treated like that."
Marinette smiled appreciatively at the girl's kindness. "Thank you. Well, my former best friend did try to investigate on my behalf, but she insisted Lila had nothing to do with my frame-up and didn't believe me. The rest of the class just turned their backs on me. My parents never tried to believe me and had me work in our family bakery as a punishment until I find a new school." She could still remember the saddened looks of disappointment on her parents' faces when they told her this and her pleas for innocence completely dismissed.
"You'd think they'd try to help their own daughter after what those idiots did to her? But nooo!" Alain growled. "They barely know Lila and decide to trust her word without question! And the next day, for some strange reason, her expulsion got reversed because Lila suddenly claims she has a rare disease that makes her unable to control the things she says. Call it a lying disease, is what they say."
Ann's jaw drops and her eyes suddenly blaze with righteous fury. "Are. You. KIDDING! ME!" She punctuated each word with barely restricted rage, causing Marinette and Alain to jolt. "A LYING DISEASE!? Is this some kind of joke!? Those people actually believe that bullcrap!?"
Though stunned by the blonde's outburst, Marinette timidly nodded. "Sadly, yes... even my parents believe it."
"Even though SHE was the one who made those false accusations, got you kicked out of school and made your life miserable! Urgh, God! Those idiots! And that little brat!" Listening to this just made Ann want to punch something. "It's just like Ren's situation all over again!" She covered her mouth, realizing what she just said. Especially with Ren frowning at her as though she revealed a secret she wasn't supposed to say. "Sorry, Ren..."
Marinette's head snapped up and gawked at Ann in surprise. Alain, and the two kwamis, instantly froze with looks of confusion. "What situation?" she asked, curious and concerned to whatever situation Ren was in that would be similar to her own.
Ren saw no need to hide it, sensing how similar his sad story is with Marinette's, looking back in her direction. "I'm just no stranger to being falsely accused by a liar. To be honest, I'm on a one-year probation for a crime I didn't commit. I never laid a hand on the pervert, but the witness involved was persuaded to lie on his behalf, even though she was being sexually harassed by the scumbag. Now I've been charged for assault. Like you, my friends and parents have turned their backs on me. Currently, I'm living with Sojiro, who's acting as my guardian throughout my probation."
Instantly, Marinette's confusion had been replaced by visible horror. Complete with questions floating inside her head. What happened to get this boy put on probation? Why did the witness make up this fabricated assault charge? Who was this monster who thought it'd be fun to ruin Ren's life? How could his friends and family abandon him in his desperate time of need?
Alain's mouth hung open. He swore his eyes grew wider than plates. Said nothing, but anyone could tell how disturbed he was to hear this.
Stunned, the kwamis had a glimmer of sadness in their eyes. "That's terrible..." Kaalki muttered. Tikki sighed, her heart broke in a whole new way after listening to his tragic backstory. Humans like Lila and this pervert truly are the cruelest creatures on earth. Much worse than the ones who tried to burn her previous holder, Jeanne d'Arc, at the stake.
"I'm sorry to hear you had to go through such an awful time," Alain said sympathetically, and Marinette's expression matched his as she frowned sadly.
"Thank you. Although I wouldn't call all of it awful, because I've made some new friends who have also been falsely labeled as outcasts by this rotten society." Ren began to smile a bit, his expression softened as he gestured to Ann, who grinned, as he mentioned these newfound friends he had made during his probation.
"Really? Who are these friends of yours?" Marinette's curiosity was piqued.
"Ryuji Sakamoto, Yusuke Kitagawa, Makoto Niijima, Futaba Sakura and I," Ann explained. "They have their own weird quirks, but we're all friends. If you meet them, I think you'll like 'em."
Suddenly Marinette got cut off by her phone's vibrations. A text from Zoe not long after said Mr. Pigeon is on the loose and she needs to get back right away. Good grief, how many times has this guy been akumatized?
The change in her behavior left the Japanese teens puzzled, wondering what's going on. Before either of them could say a word, Marinette stood up instantly and bowed apologetically. "I'm so sorry! I just got a... uh..."
Thank goodness Alain was there because he came up with another good cover story. One look at her message and he understood. "Oh, man! It looks like our teacher came for us and is at the station waiting for us. We better get going."
"Oh, really? We should get going!" Marinette hastily gets up and casts an apologetic frown. "I'm sorry but we have to go."
The Japanese teens nodded in total understanding. "It's okay," Ann assured softly. "And again, thank you for what you did for me, Marinette. I truly appreciate it."
Marinette blushed. "Oh, it's no problem. I just did what any good Samaritan would do. I hope we cross paths again soon." To Ren, she bowed and said, "Thank you for the curry and coffee, it was delicious!"
"I'm just glad you enjoyed it." He nodded and bumped fists with Alain, who said goodbye before he followed Marinette out the door.
They rushed out the door and turned a corner, gaining directions from a map on their phones to locate the subway station entrance to keep up their earlier lie and to make doubly sure their sudden disappearance isn't noticed by anyone. Now alone, Alain whips out his miraculous and shouts, "Kaalki, full gallop!" And transforms, opening a portal to take them back to Paris.